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BrunoJLucarelli

Affordable Shooting Ranges in Central Jersey?

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Hey there folks, I'm new here and usually post on another board but I realized that this would be an excellent place for NJ-related questions.  :)

 

I'm in the process of getting other college students into the hobby.  While I'm aware of clubs with excellent facilities like CJPRC who are able to cater to shooters very wholeheartedly, this isn't a good long-term solution for getting new people in a lower socioeconomic demographic into the hobby.  I can personally afford it and would be willing to make the investment, but other people who are on the fence about gun rights would not be able to front those initial costs when they're struggling to pay semester dues and rent.  What would anyone else here recommend for getting college students into shooting on a budget, maybe even a place that would be affordable for large groups?  I'm trying to be an example for other people in my age range who are still on the fence, and need to show that sports and target shooting are hobbies absolutely independent of other political standpoints. 

 

(Yes, I'm aware of Range-14 and Shooter's in Little Egg Harbor!  Those are excellent places and I will be using them myself, but they're too far south for other people at my university.) 

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Welcome.

 

Have you considered a public steel plate match at either CJ or Old Bridge?

 

It would give your target audience an opportunity to shoot in a friendly, controlled and supervised environment for little expense.

 

And shooting steel is fun. : ) 

That sounds like a lot of fun!  I'll definitely consider it some time, thank you! 

 

Garden State Shooting Center in at 1955 Swarthmore Ave, Lakewood will be opening in April, they have pre opening special on memberships

I didn't know about this!  Thank you for the helpful information, I may use this as my go-to range since it's 20 minutes closer than Little Egg Harbor!  Definitely bookmarking this!  :'D

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I will caution you about large groups in general. I find that large groups is never a good way to introduce people to shooting sports. 

That's a good point.  I'm trying to start some sort of shooters' organization here at Rutgers, but it might be best to have people split up and go to various ranges closest to them or at times most convenient to them in groups of 3 or 4.  There's also the issue of most ranges here being really small. 

 

Also, the attention I'd need to pay to the beginners is also important.  : P  Good suggestion! 

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Well Old Bridge is pretty close by, and if you become a member, you can bring up to 3 guests. It is also not small at all, with both indoor 24/7 facilities and the outdoor range. 

 

It is however not cheap. 

I've heard nice things about Old Bridge as well!  But again, price is an issue and I'll probably be frequenting Range-14 and GSSC until more affordable/practical options show up.  Thank you for contributing to the thread!  : )

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Well .. Yes Old Bridge is not cheap, but consider how much you would spending on gas and tolls driving back and forth to Range -14 (depending where you live), not to mention your time is worth something as well. 

 

The other thing is as a student with funny schedules you may or may not always have the luxury to make it somewhere during daylight hours, specially in winter time. You can go use the OB indoor range at 2 in the morning if you want.   Also consider how much free time you have to drive all the way to rangers further away. If it takes you 2 hours to get somewhere and back that considerably cuts into your time available for shooting. 

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Good luck with your project.

 

Shooting ranges in Central Jersey are a scarce commodity and real estate is at a premium.  Purchasing range time is like buying Fram oil filters.....PAY me NOW or pay me LATER.  You either join OBRPC or CJRPC or you pay by the hour at a commercial range or sometimes BOTH depending upon how commercial for-profit range memberships are set-up.

 

Generally large groups aren't well tolerated, since they tend to misbehave, not listen to safety instructions, leave the place a mess, or all three.  Any organized larger group will need permission from the range owners or trustees in order for your plan to work.  And private clubs aren't in the business of renting guns to shooters or non-shooters, so if you have an arsenal's worth (that you already own) to bring yourself, that would be a good start.

 

Guesting folks in (with permission) would be the smartest way to do this, as Vlad stated.

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Well .. Yes Old Bridge is not cheap, but consider how much you would spending on gas and tolls driving back and forth to Range -14 (depending where you live), not to mention your time is worth something as well. 

 

The other thing is as a student with funny schedules you may or may not always have the luxury to make it somewhere during daylight hours, specially in winter time. You can go use the OB indoor range at 2 in the morning if you want.   Also consider how much free time you have to drive all the way to rangers further away. If it takes you 2 hours to get somewhere and back that considerably cuts into your time available for shooting. 

Old Bridge is about $600 initial investment, and at the same time many students might not have the luxury of time to go through the process of becoming a probationary and then full member.  There are also other time-consuming membership requirements which might make it difficult for somebody like myself.  I've read through the requirements on their website and have found that it's just not practical for people who are on a budget, and I can't be a hypocrite and try to get people into shooting for cheap when I'm blowing $1200+ on a gun, ammo, accessories, locker, FID/fingerprinting, and a club. 

 

It does seem like a very nice place, though, and I'd be apt to recommend it for anybody who's living in Jersey and who is invested in the hobby! 

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Good luck with your project.

 

Shooting ranges in Central Jersey are a scarce commodity and real estate is at a premium.  Purchasing range time is like buying Fram oil filters.....PAY me NOW or pay me LATER.  You either join OBRPC or CJRPC or you pay by the hour at a commercial range or sometimes BOTH depending upon how commercial for-profit range memberships are set-up.

 

Generally large groups aren't well tolerated, since they tend to misbehave, not listen to safety instructions, leave the place a mess, or all three.  Any organized larger group will need permission from the range owners or trustees in order for your plan to work.  And private clubs aren't in the business of renting guns to shooters or non-shooters, so if you have an arsenal's worth (that you already own) to bring yourself, that would be a good start.

 

Guesting folks in (with permission) would be the smartest way to do this, as Vlad stated.

Thank you for the kind words and the advice.  The only ranges I've found within my parameters so far are Range-14, Shooter's, and Garden State Shooting Center, though there are lots of other nice ranges in the state!  The possibility of large groups isn't a big deal to me (2-4 guests per member is fine), and we can either alternate on the same rifle every so often or I can buy another one.  The most important part is finding a site to shoot at where we can also recommend membership to the people we bring. 

 

I'm aware that ranges charge what they do because real estate and construction are both so expensive here, which is why this is such a tough problem to solve.  Thank you for your advice so far! 

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You can start a shooting club at Rutgers and petition them to build a range...worth a shot

That's actually not a bad idea.  I'd need more shooting experience and more supporters, first, but I could definitely talk with one of the chancellors around here and discuss the possibility with them.  Thanks! 

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I was also going to suggest forming a club, but rather than petition Rutgers for a range, approach private ranges and ask if they'd be willing to offer a club discount while pointing out to them that the club can bring brand new shooters into their facility;  it could be a cheap(er) form of advertising for the range, and new shooters can be the most profitable ones for ranges/stores.

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 The possibility of large groups isn't a big deal to me (2-4 guests per member is fine), and we can either alternate on the same rifle every so often or I can buy another one.  

I didn't realize you were looking for rifle events.

 

My original advice still holds true in that you might want to try to expose the new shooters to the various gun games while they are supervised by experienced range officers.  It will make for a more pleasurable and enjoyable, and safe, learning experience.

 

I know CJ has high power and other bench rest shooting events that are available for the pubic, and I'm pretty sure that they can make arrangements for guns for those who don't own one.  

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If you just want to shoot shoguns, .22 rifles and muzzle loaders take the hunter education course. Its a great interdiction to firearm safety. Once you have a valid hunting license you can shoot at the WMA's all year long for free.

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I was also going to suggest forming a club, but rather than petition Rutgers for a range, approach private ranges and ask if they'd be willing to offer a club discount while pointing out to them that the club can bring brand new shooters into their facility;  it could be a cheap(er) form of advertising for the range, and new shooters can be the most profitable ones for ranges/stores.

This is also a great idea!  I might try out a few ranges, ask other students for their input, and approach a couple of ranges with the most positive feedback, convenient location, etc.  It might be the approach I go with in the long run. 

 

 

I didn't realize you were looking for rifle events.

 

My original advice still holds true in that you might want to try to expose the new shooters to the various gun games while they are supervised by experienced range officers.  It will make for a more pleasurable and enjoyable, and safe, learning experience.

 

I know CJ has high power and other bench rest shooting events that are available for the pubic, and I'm pretty sure that they can make arrangements for guns for those who don't own one.  

The idea I have is to get people into guns in some form or another, while encouraging a positive environment within the group and finding ways to shoot that are convenient and cost-effective for students.  This would probably involve range trips, general interest meetings, and other stuff.  Good to know that CJ makes events open to the public! 

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If you just want to shoot shoguns, .22 rifles and muzzle loaders take the hunter education course. Its a great interdiction to firearm safety. Once you have a valid hunting license you can shoot at the WMA's all year long for free.

Funny you say that, I was just considering taking a hunter education course.  I don't plan on hunting, but as you said WMA's have open ranges all year.  Unfortunately there aren't any near me (Monmouth County) that offer .22 ranges, but it might be very practical for people outside of my county!

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Good to know that CJ makes events open to the public! 

Not only open to the public, but run by people (volunteers) who are generally interested in teaching and making the shooting experience positive for the new shooter.  

 

One thing to consider is that there are so many different gun games, and what I find enjoyable (action pistol) others may not.  The thought of sitting on fire line and shooting NRA high power makes my skin crawl, yet is nirvana to others.  You'll likely find that same variety in the people who you recruit into your club.

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Not only open to the public, but run by people (volunteers) who are generally interested in teaching and making the shooting experience positive for the new shooter.  

 

One thing to consider is that there are so many different gun games, and what I find enjoyable (action pistol) others may not.  The thought of sitting on fire line and shooting NRA high power makes my skin crawl, yet is nirvana to others.  You'll likely find that same variety in the people who you recruit into your club.

Good to know, I'll be sure to contact CJRPC should any events come up that a future college club would be interested in.  : )

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Both of the main clubs in the area have that policy, both OBRPC and CJRPC are open to non members for organized events. 

 

I suggest the following before you get too carried away. First, get yourself to those two clubs during one the organized events and see the clubs and what is available. Secondly, as you said finance as not that tight for you, join of those clubs. Then you would be able to bring guests under your own membership and talk to the club about maybe setting something up for an RU club. 

 

Note: there are a lot of RU employees who shoot at those two clubs. 

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Both of the main clubs in the area have that policy, both OBRPC and CJRPC are open to non members for organized events. 

 

I suggest the following before you get too carried away. First, get yourself to those two clubs during one the organized events and see the clubs and what is available. Secondly, as you said finance as not that tight for you, join of those clubs. Then you would be able to bring guests under your own membership and talk to the club about maybe setting something up for an RU club. 

 

Note: there are a lot of RU employees who shoot at those two clubs. 

Thanks, glad to hear that those clubs are encouraging new membership.  : )  I'm taking everything I see here pretty seriously, and will keep it all in mind going forward. 

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I know that I am going to be joining the new Garden State Shooting Center as soon as it opens. Hopefully it will open sometime in March, or maybe April. I am keeping a close watch on this forum, & the website for news about it. It will be a good place to go shooting handguns on the 12 lane, 25 yard indoor range. I may also join Easton Fish & Game in PA for an outdoor rifle range, about 100 yards or longer. 

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I know that I am going to be joining the new Garden State Shooting Center as soon as it opens. Hopefully it will open sometime in March, or maybe April. I am keeping a close watch on this forum, & the website for news about it. It will be a good place to go shooting handguns on the 12 lane, 25 yard indoor range. I may also join Easton Fish & Game in PA for an outdoor rifle range, about 100 yards or longer. 

Same, I'm definitely going to join GSSC!  They're having a deal on memberships- $200 right now for a full year!  I'd recommend getting one ASAP. 

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Colliers Mills WMA is between CJRPC and Range 14,  more or less. The range itself is actually within hearing distance of CJ. Can only do .22 rifles & shotguns, but better than nuthin. Also look for the Outdoor Expos that go on and maybe take some people to them, won't get to shhot of course, but it will be an exposure for some students to a whole new subculture that they may not know about. Younger college students, especially wealthier white ones, rarely have social interaction outside of their bubbles from birth even thru college.

Funny you say that, I was just considering taking a hunter education course.  I don't plan on hunting, but as you said WMA's have open ranges all year.  Unfortunately there aren't any near me (Monmouth County) that offer .22 ranges, but it might be very practical for people outside of my county!

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The National Shooting Sports Foundation  ( NSSF ) has a Collegiate Shooting Sports Initiative. They would fund most of the  cost for getting your Club/Team off the ground.

I would highly recommend getting  training for your  future  members in Gun Safety and to become Range Safety Officers. These  two items would provide a certain amount of credibility for your organization among the Gun Community, NSSF and at  Rutgers. The training that I mentioned, could be obtain for  basically nothing for an organization such as yours. It has been done before.   In addition,  I would recommend that as many members as possible   obtain   a NJ Firearms Purchaser Card to facilitate the handling, travelling and storage of firearms in New Jersey.

 

Using the Army training methodology : Crawl, walk and finally run,

 

1- Identify schools members interested  in obtaining Gun Safety

2- Identify school members interested in starting a Shooting Club/Team

3- Approach the  NSSF for funding 

4-Approach a local Gun Club for the use of their facility and get a Club Mentor

4- Approach Rutgers and ask for official status as a Student Club, obtain a Faculty Mentor

 

What do you think ??

 

www.nssf.org/CSSI/PDF/CSSI_brochure.pdf

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Colliers Mills WMA is between CJRPC and Range 14,  more or less. The range itself is actually within hearing distance of CJ. Can only do .22 rifles & shotguns, but better than nuthin. Also look for the Outdoor Expos that go on and maybe take some people to them, won't get to shhot of course, but it will be an exposure for some students to a whole new subculture that they may not know about. Younger college students, especially wealthier white ones, rarely have social interaction outside of their bubbles from birth even thru college.

That's great to know, some outdoors stuff would be nice.  And yeah, you're right about social bubbles in our state, that's exactly what I'm trying to reach into and pull people out of here.  Thank you Matty! 

 

 

The National Shooting Sports Foundation  ( NSSF ) has a Collegiate Shooting Sports Initiative. They would fund most of the  cost for getting your Club/Team off the ground.

I would highly recommend getting  training for your  future  members in Gun Safety and to become Range Safety Officers. These  two items would provide a certain amount of credibility for your organization among the Gun Community, NSSF and at  Rutgers. The training that I mentioned, could be obtain for  basically nothing for an organization such as yours. It has been done before.   In addition,  I would recommend that as many members as possible   obtain   a NJ Firearms Purchaser Card to facilitate the handling, travelling and storage of firearms in New Jersey.

 

Using the Army training methodology : Crawl, walk and finally run,

 

1- Identify schools members interested  in obtaining Gun Safety

2- Identify school members interested in starting a Shooting Club/Team

3- Approach the  NSSF for funding 

4-Approach a local Gun Club for the use of their facility and get a Club Mentor

4- Approach Rutgers and ask for official status as a Student Club, obtain a Faculty Mentor

 

What do you think ??

 

www.nssf.org/CSSI/PDF/CSSI_brochure.pdf

Interesting point.  I read through the brochure and definitely have a lot of respect for NSSF.  I'm contacting you now. 

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